When Brian Lawrie was a police officer, he noticed that few drivers could stand up and defend themselves competently in traffic court. So when he retired, he took on the legal establishment for the right to defend drivers in court. He eventually won a court fight, sparking the birth of a new service, offered by a host of imitators, mostly in Ontario.

Ten years ago in Waterloo, Ont., I was pulled over by a police officer for ignoring a "no left turn" sign. I tried to explain I had not seen the sign and that traffic routinely turned left at the intersection in question. No dice; I got a ticket and a warning about sloppy driving habits.

While I suffered nothing more than embarrassment and a small fine, the consequences could have been much worse. Even small-time infractions can result in huge insurance costs, warns Brian Lawrie, founder of Pointts, a Toronto-based company devoted to fighting traffic tickets.

Pointts stands for Provincial Offences Informed Traffic Ticket Services. The company has been in business since 1984, and was the first firm of its kind. Mr. Lawrie initially had to wage a judicial battle for the right to defend minor traffic offenders. His subsequent court victory paved the way for a series of imitators to set up shop.

Today, there are roughly two dozen firms in the Toronto area alone that battle on the behalf of roadway miscreants. Many of the employees at these companies are former police officers.

Mr. Lawrie served 10 years on the Toronto police force and five years with the Essex Constabulary in Britain.

"When I was a uniformed officer in Toronto, I saw my fair share of the inside of traffic court," he says.

Mr. Lawrie noticed that few drivers were any good at defending themselves.

Anxiety over public speaking and being on trial, combined with ignorance of courtroom procedures, often doomed people who otherwise had strong defences, he says.

As a result, many of them got saddled with fines, demerits and steep insurance costs.

After retiring from the Toronto police in the early 1980s, Mr. Lawrie decided to start a business that would provide a professional defence for traffic offenders. He lacked a law degree but figured his practical experience made up for any educational deficiencies.

Unfortunately, the Law Society of Upper Canada (LSUC) -- an association that regulates Ontario lawyers -- thought otherwise. The LSUC was angry that a paralegal (a non-lawyer who offers legal services) such as Mr. Lawrie was getting paid to appear in court.

The Law Society's outrage was somewhat confusing, considering it is rare for anyone to hire a lawyer to defend him on a traffic charge.

Not only are lawyers expensive, most of them have limited experience dealing with minor traffic violations, says Mr. Lawrie. Lawyers who are experts at criminal and civil law often find themselves out of their depth in traffic court.

Nonetheless, in 1985, the LSUC charged Mr. Lawrie with unlawfully acting as a barrister and a solicitor. Two years later, the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled it was OK for paralegals to charge fees for appearing in court. The Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear the case, which means the ruling still stands.

As a result of the Appeal Court's decision, Ontario has become the traffic ticket defence capital of Canada. Thirty-one of Pointts' 34 offices are located in this province. The others are in Manitoba and Alberta. None are found in Quebec, the one province where companies such as Pointts are still prohibited from operating.

Mr. Lawrie employs 47 field agents, most them former police officers. In an average year, his company helps 50,000 to 65,000 clients fight provincial traffic charges.

David Matheson, founder of X-Copper, cannot claim to match such impressive figures, although his firm does enjoy high visibility. X-Copper has six offices and a fleet of two dozen white cars, some of them former police cruisers, which bear the company's logo.

Mr. Matheson founded X- Copper after retiring from the York Region police force in 1988. His firm also defends clients on traffic violations. Like Pointts, X-Copper offers free consultations.

Neither man feels guilt for defending the same kind of people they once busted as policemen.

In fact, Mr. Lawrie claims that Pointts has been a boon to the legal system.

"We speed things up. The justice of the peace and the prosecutor no longer have to give each defendant 'Traffic Court 101,' which used to be the case," he says. Mr. Matheson says much the same.

"We want to make sure the system is kept on its toes," he says. "We also want to make sure that people get a fair voice, something which just wasn't happening before."